Im a student and just got rejected a week ago from a boutique I interviewed at. I really want to break into the industry and was wondering if there is a way to ask to work for free. I really want the experience so how can I ask them if they would be okay for me to have an unpaid internship. This is in Toronto btw.
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They probably won't take you even if you offer them to have no salary. Intern salaries are a miniscule dent in a company's finances (even boutiques), so it isn't the money that kept them from hiring you. Keep looking for role and keep applying. Also, never offer to work for free and never take unpaid opportunities. It may be the European in me talking, but it is absurd that there are roles out there offering no money for labour in a corporate environment. No matter how useless people think interns are, they should be given some compensation for their time and effort. Keep looking.
Never hurts to ask but there are labor laws regarding working for free (you basically can't contribute, or you must get class credit - may be different in Canada) and most financial firms won't even touch unpaid labor for optics reasons.
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